90% of Healthcare Executives Think The Nurse Shortage Will Worsen in Future Years

New report from Incredible Health also highlights increasing alignment between what healthcare executives are willing to offer and what nurses want 

SAN FRANCISCO, June 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthcare executives have a stark prediction about the state of healthcare in America: the nurse shortage is likely to worsen. That's according to a new report released today from Incredible Health, the largest career marketplace for permanent healthcare workers used by over 1,500 hospital locations nationwide and one million U.S. nurses.

Nurses are the backbone of the American healthcare system, but the field has not kept up with patient growth and demand over recent years, and the U.S. is projected to be 1 million nurses short by 2030. This puts significant pressure on existing staff members and raises concerns about quality of care. Only 32% of healthcare executives polled are satisfied with current patient-to-staff ratios and 78% do not feel they have adequate nurse staff to prepare for a large-scale health crisis.

Incredible Health's 2024 Healthcare Executive Report solicited responses from more than 100 U.S. healthcare executives from the country's leading hospital networks. The report, along with its proprietary data from over 1,500 US hospitals, found that 90% predicted the nurse shortage would worsen in the immediate future. However, the report also highlights a path forward toward course correction, with the dawn of new technologies and better alignment between what nurses want and what health systems offer.

"The nurse shortage is not new but the fact that healthcare executives are so focused on this issue and taking steps to improve is a cause for optimism," said Iman Abuzeid MD, CEO and co-founder of Incredible Health. "Our data consistently shows that the providers who have the most success with hiring and retention are those with executives who are responsive to the needs of nurses."

Burnout and workplace violence
Burnout and workplace violence are top factors contributing to the shortage, healthcare executives say, with 46% of nurses reporting burnout as their biggest reason for leaving this year according to Incredible Health's 2024 Fifth Annual State of Nursing Report. A majority of those executives polled (66%) say that they have seen an increase in verbal and/or physical assaults on nurses by patients or a member of the patient's family within the past year. That sentiment echoes the sentiment of nurses themselves: Incredible Health's Fifth Annual State of Nursing Report found that more than a quarter (26%) of nurses are likely to leave their positions due to workplace violence this year.

Since healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience violence at work than any other profession, healthcare executives are implementing tactics like establishing a zero-tolerance policy, investing in security that allows nurses to alert when they are in danger, supporting legislation that establishes penalties for violence toward healthcare staff, and establishing strong safety plans for staff if any violence occurs in the workplace.

The path ahead
The good news is that many executives have a roadmap to change the way their health systems support nurses. More than half (64%) of executives stated that salary increases have been the most effective method for attracting and hiring nurses. 40% of healthcare executives reported they increased salaries for nurses over the past year. This is consistent with what nurses desire, as Incredible Health's 2024 State of U.S. Nursing Report found that 64% of nurses reported not feeling fairly compensated for their work.

Technological advancements, like Incredible Health's generative AI features, are another potential solution to help reduce nurse burnout. More than half of healthcare executives (54%) are exploring technologies that leverage artificial intelligence (AI) for nursing operations, and 78% believe that AI will positively impact their health systems. Burnout is a consistent source of nurse turnover and AI technology promises to eliminate the burdensome administrative aspects of their jobs. Nearly half of healthcare executives (47%) reported nurses using AI for scheduling/admin processes and 53% are asking team members to use AI to increase operational efficiency within their health system.

Incredible Health saw a 20% increase in nurses accepting interview requests on its platform after generative AI was implemented, helping health system recruiters instantly automate specially-tailored messages to nurse candidates, highlighting key details about hospital benefits, perks, and attributes that help health systems differentiate from intense competition for nurses.

"Healthcare professionals, including nurses, play a crucial role not only within hospitals but also across the entire country," said Valerie Hernandez, Vice President of Talent Acquisition at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. "Our top priority is to adequately staff our facilities to ensure optimal patient care outcomes. We're actively implementing innovative initiatives that will empower our teams. However, the ongoing nurse recruitment challenge remains an existential issue that all hospitals must address. We appreciate Incredible Health for working with us, and shedding light on the progress and challenges faced by hospitals and health systems today."

The full 2024 Healthcare Executive Report which details AI in healthcare, factors impacting the supply of nurses, and methods for retaining nurse staff can be found here. Resources for health systems can be found here, and resources for nurses can be found here.

About Incredible Health
As the largest career marketplace for permanent healthcare workers, Incredible Health puts nurses in the driver's seat. Hospitals apply directly to nurses rather than the other way around. The first and only platform to focus on permanent employees rather than contractors, Incredible Health is already used by over 1,500 hospital locations nationwide and one million U.S. nurses. Incredible Health's proprietary algorithm-based technology custom matches the needs of hospitals with the right nurses. Co-founded by MD and Wharton alum Iman Abuzeid and MIT alum from a family of nurses, Rome Portlock, Incredible Health is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, and operates nationally.

SOURCE Incredible Health